Friday, August 30, 2013

Discourse, my friends, is brilliant. Taking the least-marketable art form of the last 20 years (that being 90s Hardcore), and making it not only attractive but alluring is nothing but pure genius. While heavier hardcore is what I want to listen to precisely 0% of the time, Discourse doesn't just kick ass: they saved their own goddamn genre from obsolescence.

Filling the void where their contemporaries have recently fallen off (I won't name names, but we all know the bands I'm referring to), Discourse brings the same violent, primal, aggro attitude and turns it into groovy, sensual hardcore. Now, some of you may be thinking that "sensual" was a typographical error; you would be wrong. Listening to the sheer chops of "Commit to the Flames," the opening track, is incredible. The head, it bangs. And that's not all.

When you listen to Discourse, your whole body tingles. It's a sensation of pure aggression, which is instinctively similar to which other human sensations? Sex. Have you ever heard of the term "rage erection?" Is it sociopathic? Of-goddamn-course it is, but it is literally a real thing. And that's what Discourse is: a 10 minute, 18 second, stone cold boner.

Besides my cat, I'm the least violent person I know. My fiancee could absolutely, realistically beat the ever-living shit out of me. And I'm ok with that. But when "Nothing Fills the Void" was playing, I skyrocketed to the top of violent humans, making Ted Bundy look like a fucking poseur, and Jeffrey Dahmer look sane. I, of course, was sitting here. On this couch. Drinking a beer. But, the perfect anger and hatred that I felt with the riffs of this track were unstoppable. Entirely manic.

"I've been condemned to live" opens the final track--the title track. This song jams like, and I mean this as the highest compliment, Zao's "Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation," except with production that allows me to hear instruments separately (and gorgeously).

The production on this album is crisper than the cider that Satan drinks in Hell. I challenge you to find me an album that simultaneously sounds 15 years old and doesn't melt together like a fondue pot full of plastic and plastic. You won't find it, because those don't fucking exist outside of this 7".

10:18. It's over. Brilliant, terrifying release from guys who know what in the Hell they're doing.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Nervous are a new band from Oakland, California comprised of members from notable bands such as Big Kids, Lewd Acts and Loma Prieta among others, though their sound strays pretty far from the members previous bands. Channeling 90's greats Nirvana in a huge and extremely respectable way as well as earlier staples such as The Pixies and The Wipers, their debut self titled LP brings something to the table that those bands did so well and so many bands nowadays are most of the time unable to sincerely connect with:genuine angst and apathy that washes over you as you listen and will keep you fully attentive from the beginning of this outstanding record until the very end.

After the hungover yawn that starts off opening track "Good Morning", the band quicky explodes with a unbelievably frantic nature spearheaded by vocalist/guitarist Jake Spek, who's unhinged vocals and undeniably catchy guitarwork are a definite standout throughout the record. While the apathetic and downright depressing lyrical content might suggest otherwise, the band marches forward at a brisk pace for the majority of the record, turning the obvious anxiety behind these songs outward and building it into an almost anthem like quality. It's hard not to imagine any crowd not losing their mind and feverishly singing along to these songs when they are played live, as they both contain the aggression found and appreciated in many of their bay area peers while still remaining unbelievably catchy and compelling. Lengthier tracks on the album such as standout "Satire For A Vampire" showcase songwriting chops that are extremely compelling, reminding me of the manic approach bands like The Jesus Lizard so perfectly encompassed in it's frantic and unpredictable nature. This sporadic yet still fully focused approach will constantly keep you guessing whats next. One thing is for sure, and that is from start to finish this album is filled with tons of memorable guitarwork and vocal parts that will remain stuck in your head long after you hear them.

A band debuting with an LP can sometimes be a daunting task, but Nervous has absolutely nailed it with this self titled release. Any fan of the above aforementioned bands and the sounds that they crafted during their prime years owes it to themselves to check this record out immediately. It's a perfect death of summer record and one that will most likely have you hooked upon the first listen.The album is set to drop in September, in the meantime you can preorder the record from Twelve Gauge Recordings as well as stream the first two songs from the release below. Stay bummed.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Sacridose is an insanely brutal grindcore/powerviolence band from Tampa, Florida comprises of members of the some of the best punk/hardcore bands this area has seen, including Cellgraft and Crow's Foot among others, but their new 7 inch that is set to drop September 5th musically speaks for itself. Bringing to mind bands like Iron Lung, Hatred Surge and Triac, the band rips through 10 of their own songs as well as an awesome Rudimentary Peni cover in what feels like the blink of an eye, but the riffs and unrelentingly scathing vocal assault will keep you coming back for more. The band will be embarking on an east coast tour in November in support of the new record, but for now do yourself a favor and stream the entire thing below via bandcamp.

As many of you probably know, we (Toxicbreed's Funhouse) will be taking care of the cassette release of their upcoming full length. First run will be limited to 250 copies on Nacho Orange cassette shells. Keep an eye out for ordering options in the coming months.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

California hardcore/punk band No Sir left quite a mark with their debut EP Holy Land two years ago, and now they return with their debut LP The Future Is Bright, and it's bound to turn quite a few heads as it's a step up from their previous work in every regard as well as one of the most dynamic and musically diverse hardcore albums of the year. Featuring members of Creative Adult and Sabertooth Zombie and hailing from the same bay area hardcore scene that has spawned many of the most forward thinking bands of this punk generation, the band has absolutely nailed down their own sound with this release.

Opening with the almost post-rock like intro/title track, the album then explodes into "The Crowd" and maintains a raw intensity throughout the rest of the album. Drawing influence from many of their peers as well as channeling diverse and musically challenging 90's staples such as The Melvins and Nirvana, the band keeps things consistently interesting and downright surprising at every turn. No song on this album is similar to the last, from the raging one a half minute blast of "C.A.L.I.F.O.R.N.I.A." to the following morose and downright depressing track "Anxiety Consumption", one of my personal favorites off the record. Throughout there are plenty of memorable moments and the album as a whole gets better and better with each repeat listen. The recording itself is also of note, helmed by Jack Shirley of Atomic Gardens, it's an organic/warm recording that perfectly captures the bands raw intensity while still maintaining just the right amount of clarity needed to pick out everything individually.

While many bands are content with simply copying their influences to a T or relegating themselves to whatever is hyped at the moment, it's refreshing to see a band really take the hardcore/punk sound to new and interesting places and show an unafraid attitude towards pushing the boundaries of the genre and exploring new and interesting sounds. The Future Is Bright is an excellent LP and simply one of the most musically interesting punk records of the year, and is absolutely recommended for anyone looking for something new and sincerely fresh. Below you can find a stream of the entire LP via their bandcamp as well as a links to purchase the record, out now on Twelve Gauge Records.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Here we have something that is an incredibly special piece of hardcore history. For those unfamiliar, Bl'ast! are one of the most noteworthy 80's hardcore bands, one who at the time pushed the punk/hardcore genre's boundaries to it's limits and beyond with their complex and chaotic musical compositions. Earlier this year, their guitarist contacted Southern Lord with the news that he had unearthed some recordings that never saw the light of day. As luck would had it, the one and only Dave Grohl enthusiastically agreed to mix these captured recordings that had been sitting around for literally two and a half decades. The result of this is nothing less than astonishing, as now we have been given the gift of a new Bl'ast! full length to appreciate and enjoy.

For those unfamiliar with the band's music, imagine Black Flag's My War era sound taken to an even further level: Chaotic and heavily metal influenced hardcore punk filled with many memorable moments and shredding guitar riffs. The band maintains a relentless level of intensity throughout that shows a reflection of their often spoken about and notoriously intense live shows. Listening to these songs, it's very easy to see the profound influence the band would have on the many that followed in their wake. Thanks to Dave Grohl's astounding new mix of this material, these songs sound unbelievably vibrant,fresh and clear, especially considering the master recording tapes sat collecting dust for so long. The band has frankly never sounded nearly this good on recording, and it is an absolute pleasure to hear these songs in such a fresh and vibrant fashion.

Kudos to Southern Lord Records and all involved in making this record a reality, as now the new generation of hardcore/punk fans and older fans alike can appreciate a band that continues to make their mark. And with word of a new lineup and a brand new record in the future, things are looking very promising indeed. Not only is Blood! a legitimate piece of hardcore history, but it is also a damn fine album on it's own merit and an essential listen for all fans of hardcore.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Modern Life Is War are a band that needs no introduction in hardcore/punk circles. Love them or hate them, it is impossible to deny the mark they made in their time as a band, and few bands put so much sincere emotional weight into their songs. Throughout that time period through seeing them several times and listening to all of their material an endless amount, they became one of my favorite bands throughout their existence and it was truely a sad day when they decided to take an indefinite break. In the years since I've seen bands I would have never thought get back together to mostly mixed results, some for one off shows and some on a more permanent basis. When the band announced their reformation and intention to record a new record in April, I felt a nervous anticipation and excitement for a record's release that I hadn't felt in quite sometime. The prospect of a new album from one of your favorite bands is always exciting, especially when that band has been dormant for quite sometime. To say that Fever Hunting has been my most anticipated release of the year since it's announcement would be putting it lightly, and I am more than happy to say that my lofty expectations have been met and exceeded at that, as Fever Hunting is outstanding to say the least.

From the anthem like opening title track "Old Fears, New Frontiers" it's clear that the band hasn't lost a single step in their absence, and they are certainly back with something to say. Modern Life Is War has always been a very deep and poignant band lyrically, and Fever Hunting has some of their most emotionally hard hitting material to date, both lyrically and musically. Pulling elements of all three of their previous LP's sound wise, the band tears through these 11 songs with a resolve and urgency I haven't felt from a hardcore record in years, in fact, the last time I recall was the band's much revered Witness, a record that Fever Hunting will undoubtfully be compared to and measured against given it was recorded with the same lineup and engineer/producer (Kurt Ballou once again delivers an absolutely stellar recording), but this is a band clearly not content to rest of their much lauded previous efforts, as Fever Hunting sees them continuing to push hardcore's boundaries into new sonic territories and evolving their sound further while perfecting what made them so great in the first place. Slow burning songs like "Chasing My Tail" and "Brothers In Arms Forever" push and pull with an undeniable sincerity few bands can lay claim to, and lyrically touch on deep themes of the pure frustration and sense of loss that comes with growing up. Lyrically one would be hard pressed to find an album that touches on such deep coming of age themes with such a morose and unfortunately accurate portrayal the harsh reality for many people across the world.

In the time that the band was dormant, many bands have come to rise that have heavily borrowed from Modern Life Is War's undeniable influence to varying degrees of success, but with Fever Hunting, the band proves why they were so influential in the first place. Often "reunions" are met with a skeptical reaction and it's true that there have been a fair share of letdowns in this regard, Modern Life Is War's reformation is clearly not to be counted among those, and it's admirable to see a band come back for a clear and determined purpose and release what is arguably their best material to date. Fever Hunting is an instant classic, another high point from a band that has had many, and frankly one of the most exciting and relevant hardcore albums in recent memory. I could go through the standout moments of every song on this album and there are many both musically and lyrically, but this is simply an essential listen for anyone into punk and hardcore.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Baltimore young guns Noisem have teamed up with their label A389 Records to release a brand new music video for their single "Severed" and also decided to host a free/pay what you want download of the new full length. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Noisem, the band is based out of Baltimore, MD and pumps out punishing Death/Thrash Metal. Their debut full length is going under a lot of radar's this year, I strongly urge you to check them out and snag a copy of the LP if you enjoy it.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Negligence are a relatively new band from Boston and they have recently put up their now out of print demo up for stream/download via bandcamp. Playing ripping crusty d-beat punk/hardcore, the band shows an incredible amount of promise on these initial recordings and I'm pretty stoked to see what they have up next based on how goddamn good these 5 songs are. In the meantime, stream/download this release above via bandcamp and take a listen for yourself, highly recommended.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Southern California, when I lived there, was dry. Now, I mean that in two ways: 1) Of course, climate-wise, but 2) there was absolutely no hardcore scene--and the scene that existed was utter horseshit. In fact, one of the other writers here at TB and I went to shows often, realizing all the time that our city and geographic area were bullshit excuses for a music scene. That being said, it's nice to see that Southern California has been resuscitated and is finally waking back up from its artistic coma; the living bands breathing loud enough to be heard over the constant flatline of the city. That's cool shit. And so is HRBRS.

Originally Harbours, they've been playing music for 3 years (if my fact-checking it right) now, and the kids' got heart. While their music isn't any sort of re-invention of hardcore music, their genre and sub- forms around them like a home; it's comfort. Not derogatorily. This is the same, realistic, apathetic comfort in which people like I (growing up on The Carrier) feel at home. The lyrics don't form a vastly unraveling concept or story, and they're surely not meant to please: they're personal stories, vignettes and scenes that never answer the question "why?" but evoke the answers in the listeners themselves. For instance, take Modern Life is War (who, admittedly did write more literarily than most) or Life Long Tragedy. The story isn't inside the album, it's in the small room you're listening to this in. The answers unfold inside your mind like a cheap storyboard while you sit in your Northern LA studio apartment. It's like a pizza box existential crisis.

The only thing the album seems to really be lacking is the one thing that makes it a HRBRS album. Again, not derogatorily. I simply mean that HRBRS is the continuation of bands like The Carrier or Life Long Tragedy; nothing that screams of originality, but a sort of sequel. It's a good sequel, and a sequel that is (for the sake of the illustration) still in theaters, since the others left months (and years) ago. A band being unoriginal is not its downfall or the nail in its coffin (e.g. every powerviolence band, ever), and HRBRS reinforces that with Always Holding On. This is the feel-good, nostalgic subgenre of hardcore that we all grew up with, love to hear, and piss ourselves over when seeing live. And for that, HRBRS demands an applause. Because, ultimately, they're going against the trend (currently, but of course, that's always changing). They're playing the music that they love listening to (and making), and they're really fucking good at it.